Stone eating

[Katie_07]

i've recently noticed that today all three of my torts havebeen trying to eat the stone that are in the soil ?

why is this and can it harm them ?

thanks in advance

kate x

[sandy]

Well its not good for them if they eat to many, as they can impact in the stomach. Its best to
try and remove as many of the smaller ones as you can.

[Monty]

I got really worried about mine eating loads of stones. I took out every small stone i could find, but he would always find more. Since I have to go to work i had to just grin and bear it at the start. Fortunately he doesn't seem to do it at all anymore. I can only think that he may have been deficient in some minerals (he was slovenian and way too light when i got him - i know, i know, but now he is doing really well!). I posted questions asking whether other people had the same problem, and quite a few people said their torts did the same.

I kept checking the poo and quite a few have come all the way through his system! Just keep an eye on him and try to remove any stones if you can.

[piglet]

Tortoises are believed to eat stones to aid digestion , they feed on very tough fiberous , so by taking in stones they act like grinders as the stomach muscles contract and move they push the stones around grinding the food material up thus helping the tortoise gain as many nutrients as possible from its rather poor diet.
some tortoises become over eager in the stone eating which can be worrying for the owner,
Sandy recommends removing as many as possible I agree for juveniles there is a chance of impaction.

I bathed my adult redfoots in the bath a week or so ago which usually makes them pass poo after emptying the water i was amazed to see at least a good shovel of assorted gravel in the bottom of the bath ,they must of eaten eat while at lib in there out door area .
Darren